More than anything, the most important skill to master in securing (or just administering) any computer system is the ability to find what information you need when you need it, in as short a space of time as possible. More often than not, this information is available online—if you know where to look—and books like these often prime you with enough knowledge that you can go off and learn about more complex topics yourself. Sites similar to the ones we've mentioned before, such as Wikipedia and SecurityFocus, and mailing lists like Full-Disclosure and the SecurityFocus mailing lists make excellent starting points and sport a very broad selection of users and types of content posted on a daily basis.

Even if you don't become a regular user or poster, it is worth subscribing to Full-Disclosure for a month or two if you're even vaguely serious about security!

We have reviewed some common attitudes towards security, reviewed some of the security measures IPCop provides, and some security...